Holder for parachute pull cords



April 9, 1935. s. H. KNIGHT 1,997,112

HOLDER FOR PARACHUTE PULL CORDS Filed May 31, 1930 zvzveno 7 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 eA-T-E NT OF cs 7 V The pull cord that releases the catch holding the parachute in its pack has been-carried in various ways by the aviator. Usually the end ofthe cord was attached-tea ring, and sometimes the ring was hooked to a part of the a'viato1"s harness. The particular method of securing the end of the 'cord might seem unimportant, were not everything connected with parachute launching required to bhertain', handy and-easy to operate. Among-the objects of the present improvement is to attach the cord-springingly but removably' to the aviators clothing or harness. The device I'have designed and constructedhas a handle that can be grasped readily by thev aviator, which is provided with a springing engaging; element engaging with the aviators harness or clothing and which" may be pulledloose from them; Itis attached to the pull cord. The handle lies, and, is retained withineasy reach or" the aviator, and can be readilygrippe'd' by the aviator, who, when he grips it, will easily harness or clothing of the aviator, where the springing engaging element is attached to or forms part of the handle has many advantages. To form on the dress or harnessa yielding engaging element necessarily, at least in com mercially available structures, requires the use of rubber elastics which are disintegrated readily. Mounting any engaging material of springing metal on the harness would be so objectionable in many ways, as to be commercially impossible. But, if a springing engaging element is positioned on or forms part of the handle and a nonelastic retaining element is positioned on the harness, the latter will require no rubber elastics, and the yielding and springing features may be entirely metallic ii positioned on or forming part of the handle. device of which I am at present aware the handle is made of spring wire, the handle portion of which forms a spring that can be grasped by the aviators hand, and which urges springingly a pair of arms, also formed by the wire to the ends of a pocket. This preferred form of my In the best form of my device I will proceed now to describe in detail. i Fig. 1 is an elevation of the handle showing the attachments to it of the pull cord. I Fig. 2-is-a like elevation showingthe handle in' a pocket on the harness of ana viator. 5 v

The pull cord 3 is attached in any suitable way to thehandle. I have illustrated it as looped into the'loop C formed by the parts 5 and Ethan form one of the clamping arms of the holder. The end of the pull cord '3; may be passed through theloopC formed byZtheJpa'rts Sand 6 and turned backjon and'secured to itself." A binding wire t may be'used to securethe'endofthe pull 'cordjfto' the portion of the pull cord back of the loop "C of the springing clamp arm. It may-be bound by the binderfl to this portion of the pull cord;

The handleis made of spring Wi 171190611 tral portion of the wire forming the grip" loop D .and the endsthe clamping arms that engage with'thepocket. One sideof the grip loop D has the two wires VI and 2; the other sideasingle wire I9; From the grip loop, wires 5 and "'2', ektend the clamping arms. "These clamping arms are'tormed in practice into two loops B and C, the portion 6 of a wire being turned back to-the. portion 5, at a. It'mayYbe soldered or brazed to itat thatpoint. f I

In practice, the grip loop and the arm loops B and C lie substantially in the same plane' The clamping arms spread sidewise outward to 'engage'springingly the ends of the pocket; It will be noted that the precise structure illustrated (to which howevenl do not limit my invention) has some very particular advantages of construction. The grip loop D, has doublewires, and on theout'si'de of the handle, and one end of each wire bends inward to form the sprin'ging clamping arm, and the wires l and 2 are connected by the wire 9, which will lie partly in the pocket. The greater part 'of the holder is therefore contained in the pocket, leaving only a small part of the holder projecting from it.

The pocket 1, in which the holder is releasably retained, is formed preferably between a strip l8 secured by sewing to some part of the aviators clothing or harness, very conveniently to one of the vertical straps A of the harness such as the loadstrap. It is closed, in practice, at the bottom by a row of stitches l6, and thelength or" the pocket decreases from its back towards its mouth. The ends may have reinforcements 8, 8, suitably sewed to the strapandthe mouth of the pocket may have a reinforcement 9.

While the aviator is flying the holder keeps the pull cord always in a position that is readily accessible and the holder is easily releasable. When the parachute is to be released the aviator grasps the holder by the grip loop D and pulls it fromthe pocket, and pulls the pull cord, and

grip loop and clamping arms, formed of spring-.

ing wire, the clamping arms having free ends in springing engagement with the pocket.

2. In. a holder for parachute pull cords the combination with a pocket carried by the aviator, of a holder consisting of a grip loop and springing arms, formed from a single length of springing wire, the central portion of said wire forming a hand grip loop and the ends forming springing arms having free ends engaging with the ends.

of the pocket, and a pull cord attached at one end to said holder. V I a 3. In a holder for a parachute pull cord, the combination with a pocket having sides sloping inwards as they" approach the mouth, and a holderhaving a hand griploop and springing clamping arms having free ends springingly engaging with the said inclined ends-of said pocket said hand grasping portion, the free end of said and a pull cord attached at one end to said holder.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the clamping arms form loops, into one of saidloops the end of the pull cord is secured. I

5. The device as defined-in claim 3, wherein the hand grip loop and the springing clamping. arms consist of a single wire, the. ends of said wire forming the springing arms and the middle portion, the hand grip loop.

6. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein the springing clamping arms have each loops formed of the end of the wire turned backward and secured to a portion of said Wire nearer the grip loop. v

'7. Thecombination' with a parachute harness and a pack therefor, of, a release .cord extending from said pack, of a handle member, with a hand grasping portion and free sides extending from and a pack therefor of a release cord extending from said pack, of a handle, with a hand grasping portion and free sides extending from said hand grasping portion, the free end of said release cord connected to one of said sides and means for releasably holding the free sides on saidharness.

9. The combination of a release cord for a parachute container and a handle therefor and a pocket for holding said handle, saidhandle having a hand grasping portion and free sides extending from said hand grasping portion, the free end of said release cord connected to one of said free sides, said free sides of said handle being springingly held in said pocket.

10. The combination with the parachute pack and pull cord, and harness having retainers thereon, of a handle comprising freely movable side pieces sprin'gingly urged into engagement with the retaining means on the harness, said side pieces being disengageable from the retainers on the harness by the outward pulling of the handle.

ties for holding releasably the pull cord to the harness of an aviator, comprising, retainers positioned upon the harness, and a handle attached to the pull cord-and composed of a hand grasping portion, an attachment for the ,free end of the pull cord, and springingly actuated engaging means positioned on said handle to engage yieldingly the retainers.

13. The co-acting, assemblage defined in claim 12 wherein the retainers are formed by a pocket positioned on the harness the bottom of which pocket is permanently longer than the length of the mouth of the pocket, which length of mouth is positively limited, the engaging means, when free, extending more widely from each other than the length of the pocket.

14, A cooperative assemblage for holding the handle of a parachute pack pull cord yieldingly attached to the harness, comprising a handle having springing engaging means attached to said handle, retainers fixedly and positively attached to the harness and positioned thereon to engage with the springing engaging means on the handle, the handle being secured to the pull cord.

15. The assemblage defined in claim 14 wherein the retainers are formed by the ends of a pocket positioned on the harness.

SAMUEL H, KNIGHT. 

